Piastri Dominates Chinese GP for McLaren 1-2 Finish

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Oscar Piastri bounced back from the disappointment of his season-opening mistake in Australia, claiming an assured victory in the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday. The Australian driver converted his pole position into a dominant win, leading home his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, in a 1-2 finish for the papaya outfit.

Piastri controlled the 56-lap race from start to finish, delivering a calm and confident performance. With drivers opting for a one-stop strategy, Piastri kept a steady gap to Norris, despite a late brake issue for the latter. Norris struggled in the closing stages but held onto second place, finishing 9.748 seconds behind Piastri.

The McLaren team’s perfect result was aided by George Russell, who had an impressive run in third place for Mercedes. Despite a brief spell in second after the pit stop phase, Russell was unable to keep up with Norris’s pace and ultimately finished 11.097 seconds adrift of Piastri.

Max Verstappen, coming off a challenging sprint weekend, finished fourth for Red Bull, just ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who had an eventful opening lap. The two Ferrari drivers collided, leaving Leclerc with a damaged front wing, which he opted to continue racing with. Hamilton, on the other hand, was the only frontrunner to adopt a two-stop strategy, but despite setting the fastest laps, he couldn’t make up for the time lost in his second pit stop.

The rest of the top ten saw Esteban Ocon secure an impressive seventh place for Haas, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Williams’ Alex Albon, and teammate Ollie Bearman rounding out the points-scoring positions.

Carlos Sainz, still adjusting to his new Williams team, finished 13th, while Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar placed 14th after an eventful race, which included a penalty for Alpine's Jack Doohan after an incident. Liam Lawson, meanwhile, was 15th, followed by Doohan, the Sauber drivers, and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, who suffered a third pit stop due to front wing damage. Fernando Alonso retired early due to brake issues.

Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 – Race Results:

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:30:55.026
   

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +9.748s
   

3. George Russell (Mercedes) – +11.097s
   

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – +16.656s
   

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +23.211s
   
   

With this statement win, Piastri has shown he is ready to mount a challenge for the championship, and McLaren’s strong showing further bolsters their title credentials for the season ahead.